Sunday, March 24, 2013

When we were cut off our broadband and telephone line by a damaged sub sea cable last week, I thought I would do a bit more reading, even finish a book that I have been dipping into for some time, and get to the end another book that was given me to read. I intended to browse newspapers for a change and watch various news channels on the TV. Thank goodness our media was not part of the internet package. We did at least we did have that and the radio.

The broadband service and telephone were restored in the late/early hours of Saturday/Sunday morning. All digits crossed it stays connected. Just in case it does not, I am busy catching up with correspondence and other communications.I don't think 3G has arrived here yet, let alone 4G, which, is being touted as the latest and best communication link to buy into. My smart phone was severely limited with what I could do with it for back up -I couldn't access the internet at all unless I went into a shop or a café that had wifi on offer to customers. Where I live, there are only two businesses like that. So, I made time to go to one or other of those places. It was the time that I could have curled up with a book or browsed a newspaper.I did though, watch a variety of news channels on T.V. I glanced at one newspaper, the local bi-weekly rag. Apart from a great picture of a relative in it, there was not much to read. I often wonder why I buy it...the answer is the one that everyone gives; you buy it in case you miss something. I did get to the end of a chapter and the start of the next, in one of the books.

I would miss the internet, but not TV as I've not had one for nearly a year and don't miss it at all.I've always got several books on the go at any one time and guess that I'd be reading them quicker it that were to happen. Flighty xx

After Japan went digital, I no longer have a television set in Yokohama. I was going to buy a small one, but experimented how I would feel without it. It's been a few years, and I'm lazy to go shopping for it. 24 hours a day is not enough time after looking at Facebook, watching a few youtube tapes, listening to radio, and most of all, read and write.

But I think the incident you had to go thru without the internet is, in a way, good thing. Time to time, we need to test our fear of losing the connection. I think we became so dependent on it as I am now.

Some places get connected faster than others... In the beginning the most enthusiastic buy the equipment just to have a taste of modernity... and then afterwards it becomes a tool, just like all the other tools humanity has known. And once it's a workable tool, everyone uses it according to its need. People who are obsessive, can become obsessive over tools too, like cars, or dresses or shoes... it makes it easier to forget that life is a passing fancy...

I was more concerned about the disconnection of the telephone than the internet, at first. I then got fed up with all the advertising breaks in the few TV programmes I watched and wished for the internet to watch them instead!

I do accept that computing and the communication you get used to via its use, does become a noticeable gap.

What we have are amazing tools to work with, if we are willing to learn how to use them to best advantage. I love the breadth of communicative possibilities, and the speed of it all. A few days without this did not cause any angst, I am not sure how I would have felt if it had been a lot longer.

I missed the opportunity to watch the iPlayer instead of the TV. I was concerned about the loss of connection to the house telephone. I did have calls diverted to my cell phone, which, was a useful temporary alternative.

I shall avoid going digital on radio as long as possible. It will not be my choice, if it happens.

What a fascinating turn of thought OW; you might be right. I guess for it to be so, all riotous media possibilities would have to have their global plugs pulled; e.g. smart phones, 3G and 4G connections, TV, radio, and so on. It might feel to some, that the world as lots of us now know it, had come to its end.

I'm of a like frame of mind GillyK. I try to keep away from the internet via the computer, a couple of days a week, (that's an 100% increase on previous self imposed constraints) and it is not really a problem in the general run of things. Where it relaxes, is when I know to expect something.

I do other things on the computer, however, if not required, the equipment is just not switched on during the self-imposed 'down time'.

I guess another relaxation might be, if I had a particular concern. On the whole though, the present internet/life balance works well.